Equinox Designs Training Program for Members on Weight Loss Drugs

The luxury fitness brand is creating a program to help Ozempic and Wegovy users build long-term, healthy habits

Luxury fitness and wellness brand Equinox is starting the new year with a personal training program designed for clients on popular weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy or who are interested in using GLP-1s.

The famed fitness club is one of the first to roll out such a program in response to the market-disrupting impact of weight loss medications. 

“We’re creating an internal education program at the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, adding the GLP1 protocol to coach the many members using them,” Equinox club coach Michael Crandall told People.com, which first reported the new program. “The drugs work so well, but we felt like something really important was missing for our clients on them. Weight loss interventions should always be done with a training program to get the best results.”

Crandall is leading the new program, a move following Equinox recently adding a Health Advisory Board featuring a panel of medical and wellness experts designed to support Equinox Fitness Training Institute, which offers accredited curriculum and board certification for performance coaches. 

Fitness Brands Embrace Ozempic

While Equinox isn’t directly offering weight loss medications like Life Time or Xponential Fitness, which recently acquired Lindora health clinics, targeting clientele using the injectables can also prove lucrative. The numbers speak for themselves: roughly 3.6 million patients in the U.S. with insurance had a prescription claim for a GLP-1 in 2022, found Trilliant Health.

And while GLP-1s are causing consumers to shed weight rapidly, it does come with a price — losing weight too quickly can cause medication users to lose valuable lean muscle mass. Equinox’s fitness coaches will learn how to create workout plans for those experiencing GLP-1 side effects, helping them mitigate any muscle loss through aerobic or anaerobic conditioning or strength training, Crandall explained. 

However, a crucial component of Equinox’s new program is empowering clients to cultivate better habits and lead a healthy lifestyle for the long haul.

“Our clients are thinking weight loss for the long term, and they’re very motivated to keep the weight off,” he told People. “What we’re doing in empowering them so when they ease themselves off, they won’t be nervous or worried they’re just going to put it right back on.”

In tandem with the rise of GLP-1s, fitness and wellness enthusiasts are seeking customized experiences under the guidance of a coach, whether it’s for fitness, nutrition or both. Last spring, the luxury lifestyle and fitness brand announced plans to hire 5,000 fitness coaches in response to demand for personal training services.